is there an easy way to make height maps for ODL winter?

[TheJamsh]

im not much of a texture artist nor a 2D artist, but it would be nice to get my maps drawn easily in a program for ODL winter

i only need a height map for now, the rest are a bit advanced for me.

any clues?

[mrtwosheds]

Assuming that you have a half decent graphics program...Its not too difficult.
Grey scale image, white is high black is low, just use a brush to sketch out a rough plan of where you want hills and flat bits, copy it as layer, apply filter/plug-in effects to create terrain detail, use masks and layers to keep bits flat or hilly etc etc.
Try it out in bz2, modify the terrain in bz2 and export a heightmap from that, work on that some more.

For the texture layers I usually start by colour selecting parts of the height map, white, grey or black and making 3 new texture layers where the selected area is all white and the rest black, ensuring that the white areas do not overlap each other when the 3 textures are overlayed, as they will be on the map. This creates texture layers at different heights, you can then use numerous techniques to alter selected parts. Its a Good technique for snowy mountain tops, sandy flat places and rocky cliffs.
When you are happy with the texture layers, give them a final blur to smooth their transitions out.

For colour (I do this last, after lighting the map)I usually just knock up a texture with colour noise on it, paint the map with it (it looks horrible) then I start bz2 with the shellmap command, which exports a .bmp of the map, with its colors and shadows etc on it. this need to be lightened and desaturated a bit usually. You then use that to paint the map again. This can look really good if you manage to get it in the right place, so that the hills shadows are actually painted on where they should be.
It also supplies you with a nice image of the map to display in the game menus.

[TheJamsh]

I have gimp, thats about it. its difficult to use interface doesnt help matters.

ive been working on one. been difficult to export the maps in ODL winter so i can edit them. how do i export one from BZ2?

[mrtwosheds]

You can only use the /shellmap 256 256 (<The maps size!) to export an image from bz2, It is a colour image and not very useful for height or texture maps.
Whats the problem with exporting images from odlwinter?

I have found no use whatsoever for the normal map, ignore it.

[Red Spot]

im not much of a texture artist nor a 2D artist, but it would be nice to get my maps drawn easily in a program for ODL winter

i only need a height map for now, the rest are a bit advanced for me.

any clues?

http://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=83714

Not sure if you can import these maps into Winter, but it does allow you to make a greyscale map by molding it in 3D. However you're beter of using the editor as it works beter/easier than earthsculpter.

[Nielk1]

I sometimes use the greyscale map as a displacement on a plane in 3DS Max. I can also make my own map and apply a black to white gradient on the side, thus allowing me to make maps in 3D, grabbing as many vertexes as I want. The number of verts is pretty demanding on my computer though.

Steeveeo had me do this and apply his color map, add a sun, and render the shadows to be added to the color map.